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Student Success Through the Lens of Data

This course explores the effective use of data to improve student success. Designed for teams of three-to-five administrators, the intended audience includes those who plan, implement, and evaluate programs and services aimed to foster greater success among community college students.

Core Lessons

Data 101 – A Basic Introduction to Data and Research

Transforming Data into Information

Preparing Data for Longitudinal Analysis

The Achieving the Dream™ Approach to Student Success

Task Modules and Exercises

Urban Legends: Explores uses of data to assess urban legends about student success and presents a process that colleges can use to identify truth and myth.

Data Definitions: Explores common definitions of variables associated with student success, and issues and nuances related to variable definitions.

Data Access and Availability: Explores data access and availability. Questions explored include: What data are collected, by whom, and from what sources; where data are stored; and who has access to the data?

Using Data Within a Culture of Evidence: Demonstrates how to use data within a culture of evidence including how to identify barriers to success, diagnose probable causes of barriers, choose and implement a strategy to address barriers, and evaluate results.

Snapshots of Student Success: Explores how to use “snapshot” data from a single year to identify opportunities to improve student success.

Using Longitudinal Data to Improve Student Success: Demonstrates how to use longitudinal data to analyze student enrollment patterns and identify opportunities to improve student completion rates.

Knowledge & Skills Taught

Using longitudinal tracking of cohorts to explore enrollment patterns and completion rates

Examining snapshot data Key steps for data-informed decision-making

Understanding the definition, collection, source, storage and access for and of data